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OCO examines regenerative ag certification in Ontario context

December 1, 2020  By Fruit and Vegetable


How do regenerative certification programs hold up in practice?

The Organic Council of Ontario (OCO) received funding from the Ontario Trillium Foundation in fall 2019 to evaluate regenerative certification and verification programs in an Ontario context. Titled the “Regenerative programs and incentives feasibility study,” the OCO study aims to:

  • determine if there’s a market for certifications;
  • identify benefits and barriers for large and small-scale producers to obtaining certification; and
  • explore incentives to encourage producers to pursue certification.

The most recent regenerative certification program OCO has examined is the Savory Institute’s Ecological Outcome Verification (EOV). EOV certification involves a Savory Institute-accredited surveyor visiting a participating farm, noting the farm’s current ecological baseline and what is possible as determined by a comparative reference area, and continuous monitoring of the farmland to see what improvements are made.

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The Savory Institute is a global not-for-profit organization whose stated mission is “to facilitate the large-scale regeneration of the world’s grasslands and the livelihoods of their inhabitants through holistic management.” They currently have 47 regional hubs around the world, including one in the Northwest Territories and one planned for development in Manitoba. |READ MORE


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